


Over Exposed

by FrauSchneider



Category: Emigrate (Band), Feeling B, Lindemann, Rammstein, Richard Kruspe - Fandom
Genre: Eventual Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2017-01-27
Packaged: 2018-09-16 20:24:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 16,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9288254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrauSchneider/pseuds/FrauSchneider
Summary: Winter 2016/2017 Paul and Richard take a day off during the writing and recording of the new album.





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first published work of fiction. I welcome constructive criticism, as it will help me improve. Obviously, as a work of fiction, these events are created for my, and hopefully your, entertainment. I will endeavour to keep any mention of family members and/or partners respectful.  
> I do not know the members of Rammstein either individually or collectively (although I was lucky enough to meet them at Download UK last year!)  
> Rammstein retain all copyright over their work and image(s)  
> I hope you like it!

Chapter One  
Richard’s POV

It seemed like a good idea at the time. The six of us staying cooped up in the house, when things weren’t going smoothly with recording the new album, almost always ended up with bruised egos and occasionally someone nursing a black eye or a bust lip. So when Paul suggested to me that we should drive to the village over in the next valley for the day, in order to give Till some breathing space while he worked on lyrics, seemed like a sensible thing to do.  
To be fair, Paul coming up with anything sensible should’ve sent up a warning flag straight away, but I was getting low on cigarettes, and I’d seen a custom instrument workshop on the drive up through the mountains. Paul agreed that we could pay it a visit, but we needed to set off quickly to make best use of the daylight. It would be interesting to see what the workshop had in stock, I’m always on the lookout for new sounds and ideas if not for use with Rammstein, then maybe I can use them in Emigrate or just for my personal enjoyment.  
I should’ve insisted we take my car, it had just had its service and was more comfortable than Paul’s, but he was out the door and revving the engine almost as soon as I’d agreed to go with him. I couldn’t help but grin, his enthusiasm was contagious, so grabbing my beanie and scarf, I donned my coat and followed him out into the driveway.

Paul’s POV

I could tell that Richard was getting frustrated with the recent lack of progress, so I took it upon myself to provide some distraction. I’d got a new digital SLR camera at Christmas and was eager to try it out. The scenery here in the Swiss Alps was breath-taking, especially with the recent snowfall.  
As soon as Richard was in, I put the car in gear and we set off round the mountain, following the winding road through pine trees and conifers. The smell coming through my open window from the forest was a welcome contrast to the cloud of smoke emanating from Richard’s latest cigarette. I sighed inwardly, I worried about his health - he smoked far too much in my opinion – and the others had expressed similar views in the past too. Richard’s comeback was that he’d already given up his worst addiction, so we should leave him this vice if we didn’t want him to fall back into old habits.  
As we rounded a sharp bend in the road, we were presented with a spectacular vista. Ahead of us was an alpine meadow leading up to a cliff in the mountainside, complete with a waterfall gushing over a ledge higher up, tumbling down the rocks on its inevitable journey towards the valley floor, where it joined a meandering river. A bird of prey hovered above the treetops, too high for me to identify with any degree of certainty, but with a bit of luck and patience I might get a decent shot. I pulled the car over into a layby, presumably put there for people wanting to stop and admire the view, there was more than enough room for turning or overtaking on this stretch of road, and grabbed my camera from the backseat.  
“Why’ve we stopped? I thought we were going to the village?”  
“Are you kidding? Just look at this place – it’s beautiful! And the light now the sun is climbing is just…”  
“Okay, I get it. You want to take a photo – just be quick about it, I didn’t have breakfast and I’m hungry!”  
I hopped out of the car and vaulted the wooden fence into the meadow, sparkling from the light dusting of snow. Behind me, Richard got out of the car too, but instead of joining me he lit up again, leaning against the fence as he gazed down at the valley below.  
Mindful of how irritable a hungry Richard could be, I took a few choice photos of the scenery and the circling bird above, and when I was certain his attention was anywhere but on me, I snapped off a few candid shots of Richard. Had he not ended up as a musician, I’m sure Richard would have fallen into acting or modelling, just as his son Merlin had.   
Even approaching 50 years of age, he still maintained his good looks. I never told him, but when I first met Richard, all those years ago in East Berlin, I thought he was the most beautiful man on the planet. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I swing both ways but, aside from our on-stage antics or when we’re having fun at the expense of the media, Richard has made it perfectly clear that he’s straight. I’m pretty sure that had I ever admitted to him about having romantic feelings, he would’ve pounded me into the pavement without a second thought. So I’ve kept quiet over the intervening years, contenting myself with being his friend and colleague. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the women who became a part of my life, and I couldn’t ask for a more wonderful son, just sometimes, late at night, often following a drink or two, I wonder what might have been.


	2. Two

Chapter Two  
Paul’s POV  
A short while later we pulled into a car park in the heart of the village. Stepping out of the vehicle, we took stock of our surroundings before deciding where to go first. The loud growl from Richard’s stomach decided that for us, there was a café open a few yards up the street and Richard was halfway there before I finished my sentence.  
“I guess you’ll be wanting a cup of coffee and…”  
I trailed after him, blowing on my hands to warm them up in the cold air. Richard was already being served at the counter by the time I caught up, he’d ordered his customary cup of coffee plus another for me (at least I assumed it was for me and not a second for him!), and was just contemplating the breakfast menu. His attention shifted as someone emerged from the back, and placed a cake on a shelf in the display case. His face lit up.  
“Black Forest Cake!”  
“Reesh, you can’t have that for breakfast!”  
“Who says I can’t? I’ll have a slice of that as well, please”  
“Anything else, sir?”  
“Paul, you want anything to eat?”  
“No, I had breakfast before we left. I’ll be good for a while yet. I’ll just watch you stuffing your face with all those calories – don’t forget that you’ll have to work it off later, and that swimming pool isn’t heated!”  
Richard responded by sticking out his tongue petulantly and turned to pay the assistant. We took a table by the window to have our drinks and discuss what we were going to do next. Swallowing a mouthful of cake, Richard made a suggestion.  
“That workshop is just a little further up the hill, can we go there first? I’d like to take a good look around.”  
As he’d only agreed to come out provided that we visited the workshop, I saw no reason to object. Maybe I’d buy a new guitar for myself if they were any good.  
Richard’s POV  
Black Forest cake for breakfast! The day was beginning to look up despite Paul trying to lay a guilt trip on me. It was hardly worse than the other options of various pastries or the fried breakfast on offer. Okay, there was muesli available too but come on, it’s about as tasty as sawdust!  
I persuaded Paul to go to the music workshop first, I usually get my way with him – he rarely puts up a fight with me although he often butts heads with the others. I admit, I’ve used this to my advantage quite shamelessly over the years.  
It was a relatively short walk up the hill to a traditionally built structure consisting of timber-frame walls filled with large gravel stones and clay. The sound of sawing greeted us as we opened the door, and the scent of sawdust (or maybe muesli) filled the salesroom.  
On one side of the floor were a variety of percussion instruments, there was a wall display of wind instruments, but being the creatures that we are, we were inevitably drawn to the wall displaying various guitars, both acoustic and electric, lutes, mandolins and something labelled as a ‘psaltery’. We were like kids in a toy shop, wanting to pick up and play with everything at once. I was in the middle of goofing around on a ukulele when the shop owner strolled in through the door at the rear. Guiltily replacing the uke on its stand, I explained we were musicians and were interested in a tour of the workshop and to try out a few of the instruments made there.  
He motioned us through, and over the course of the next two hours we were treated to a demonstration of how some of the instruments were crafted using a mixture of traditional and modern techniques and invited to try as many instruments as we liked. Paul ended up buying a mandolin, whereas I chose an acoustic guitar with exquisite detailing. We arranged for them to be shipped to our Berlin office, as neither of us fancied lugging them around for the rest of the day, then took our leave.  
Paul’s POV  
Midday had come and gone while we were inside, and although there was more of the village I wanted to explore, it was my turn to be hungry. We found a family-run restaurant and after a light lunch, took a circuitous route back, following the river a short way, then up between quaint old houses before turning towards the village centre and the car. I put my new camera to good use along the walk, before the light started to dim. Being early January the sun set around 4pm, but that was still a good hour away yet. Looking up, I noticed that the sky had taken on that strange hue that comes with imminent snowfall. Cursing my own stupidity, I suggested we leave immediately as I’d not brought snow chains, and now that I thought of it, I couldn’t remember seeing many streetlights on the mountain road. The others would be expecting us back before dark, too. As I turned the key in the ignition the first snowflake landed on the windscreen.


	3. Three

Chapter Three  
Richard’s POV  
“No, no, no – don’t die! Not now!”  
“Shouting at the car won’t make it work, Paul. Let’s face it, we’re screwed.”  
“It’s just being stubborn, I know I can get it to start again if I just…”  
The engine sputtered and shuddered to a complete stop. The snow had been falling steadily as we’d started up the mountain, we’d passed the place we’d paused on the way down earlier, but we were still only two thirds of the way to the top, where the road curled round close to the summit before dropping down again toward the studio and its adjacent house. I turned in my seat and looked at Paul.  
“Please let me know when I can expect to witness the miracle of your car’s resurrection.”  
“Fuck fuck shit fuck!”  
"Is that your version of Morse Code? Because if it is, I have to inform you I never learnt it.”  
Paul threw me a black look before getting out and moving round to lift the engine bonnet. Judging by the pall of smoke rising up, coupled with a pained yelp as Paul touched something apparently rather hot, things were not looking optimistic. He returned to the car cradling his right hand, which was beginning to blister along the edge of his palm and little finger.  
“Here, put some snow on it, it will help reduce any swelling”  
I got out of the car and scooped up a handful of snow then, taking hold of Paul’s arm I pressed his hand gently onto the snow. Paul hissed loudly and followed it up with some very inventive use of language, before the snow’s cold temperature started to numb the pain from the burn.  
“Do you have a first-aid kit in the car?”  
“Glove-box”  
Sure enough, there was. I removed a tube of antiseptic cream, a wad of gauze and a bandage.  
“Come and sit back down while I see to your hand, you’re beginning to resemble a snowman.”  
“We better ring the others and let them know we’ll be late back, and call my breakdown service, the paperwork should be in the glove-box too – can you fish it out?”  
After securing the bandage, I took my phone from my pocket and dialled Schneider’s number – if Till was hard at work on lyrics I didn’t want to be the one to disturb him. My phone was disturbingly silent. Frowning, I tried Ollie’s number instead – again, nothing. It was then I noticed there were no signal bars on the screen. Just perfect – we were in a dead zone.  
“Not much point getting your papers out, there’s no signal on my phone.”  
“Try mine, it’s in my left pocket.”  
“I’m certain your left hand still works, you get it.”  
Paul showed me his middle finger.  
“See, you proved it!” I laughed. Nevertheless, I retrieved his phone and looked at the display.  
“Nope, no signal on yours either.”  
“Crap! What shall we do? If the car won’t start and we can’t call anyone, with the snow coming down like it is, we’ll get stuck here and freeze to death…”  
“There was a side road a bit back down the mountain, we can roll the car there so that it’s off the main road. I think I saw a sign for some accommodation or something along there, we can see if they have a payphone we can use instead.”  
“Okay, but we’ll need to switch seats. I can’t drive like this.”


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank those of you who've sent me kind messages, and left kudos. I've seen all of them, it's made what's been a depressing week more bearable.  
> I had this story idea in my head a few weeks ago, and started fleshing out the chapters last week. This week has been spent reviewing my notes, editing, then typing up to place on here. That's the reason why the chapters appear to be coming thick and fast! I've taken note of suggestions, especially as they have come from some of you whose work I've enjoyed reading myself, and the tweaks I've done (and am yet to do) are as a direct result of that.

Chapter 4  
Paul’s POV

Richard turned out to be right about both the side road and the sign, which advertised a collection of log cabins available to rent. The first building at the end of the road housed the reception office, the kitchen and a dining hall.   
While he smoked out on the front porch area I went inside to speak to the receptionist. After explaining our situation, I asked if there was a phone we could use to let our friends know we were ok and call for a tow-truck. It was at that point that Rudolph, oops…sorry, Reesh came through the door – it was hard to tell the difference due to the bright red nose on his face! Of course, the receptionist seemed immediately taken with Herr Tall-Dark-And-Handsome, so, feeling a bit better now I was warm again, I decided to get up to some mischief.  
“Ah! Zven, darling! I was just telling the delightful Madchen here about our little predicament, there’s a phone we can use and she’s given me the number for...Ralf, was it? He owns the local tow company apparently…”  
Madchen tried (and failed) to mask her disappointment that ‘Zven’ was not only unavailable but apparently gay too. He plucked the business card from her outstretched hand as she spoke;  
“I’m afraid Ralf won’t come out up here at night in a heavy snowstorm, especially for a non-emergency. As your car isn’t on the main road, he’ll wait the storm out before making the ascent, most likely. But, by all means, give him a call.”  
Without uttering a word, he stalked off to the corner table where the phone was located, and picked up the receiver. I looked back at Madchen and whispered conspiratorially:  
“Don’t pay him any mind, sweetie. He’s grouchy because it’s his time of the month,” I winked.  
Of course, that still left the problem of what to do next. If the tow company considered the conditions too treacherous to come out at night, then it would be far too risky for one of the others to come out and pick us up. There was the possibility of walking, I suppose, but neither of us was appropriately dressed for a hike in what was turning out to be a blizzard.  
Richard put the receiver back on the hook (seriously, how retro!), looked at me and shook his head.  
“It looks like you two gentlemen are stuck here for the night, you’re welcome to sleep on the couches here in reception, but if you’re interested, although this is our high season we do have one cabin left available, but it’s the…er, honeymoon suite.”  
Oh, this was just “Perfect, liebchen! Zven and I have been looking for somewhere to stay after our nuptials, perhaps this is fate! We’ll take it, did you hear that darling? The honeymoon suite, you like your romantic settings…”  
Well, as you can imagine, if looks had the power to kill, I was dead where I stood. Approaching the reception desk, Richard put on his best fake smile (you know the one- all teeth…) and replied, “Why HEIKO, sweetie, that’s wonderful...!”  
Gulp. Been nice knowing you. I quickly paid for the night’s lodgings and arranged for a hot meal to be sent over later from the kitchen, as we’d missed the scheduled dinner time in the adjacent dining room.  
“Here’s the key for the cabin, just follow that right-hand track – it’s marked out with lights so you shouldn’t get lost even in this weather. There’s a phone in the cabin too, with instructions for dialling reception or an outside line. I’ll send someone over with your meals as soon as they’re ready. Is there anything else you might need?”  
The bag we’d taken from the car had only got my camera, the first aid kit, and the several packets of cigarettes we’d picked up on our way through the village, (I’d made sure that we’d bought some for the others just in case). We were a bit short of supplies for a night away.  
“We weren’t expecting to be out overnight, so we’ve no change of clothes or toiletries…”  
“Not much I can do about the clothing I’m afraid, but let me check what I’ve got in the supply cupboard.”  
She disappeared into an office at the back, returning shortly brandishing some toothpaste and a pair of toothbrushes. “The bathroom in the cabin has shampoo, and bodywash. You’ll find complimentary bathrobes in the wardrobe. Anything else?”  
“Thank you Madchen, you’re an absolute gem.”


	5. Five

Chapter 5  
Richard’s POV

“What. The. Fuck. Was that?”  
“Lighten up Reesh, it was just a bit of fun. She obviously doesn’t know who we are and I can’t imagine they get much in the way of excitement up here, so I thought we could spice things up a little!”  
“I swear Paul Landers, one of these days I’m going to throttle you ’til you’re blue as a smurf!”  
“Oooh, kinky!”  
There’s no point trying to berate Paul when he’s in this kind of mood, it only serves to further provoke him which in turn would leave me even more annoyed, if that’s possible. Shaking my head, I opened up the cabin door, and crossed the open living area to the bedroom. The phone was situated on one of the bedside tables, I lifted the receiver and punched in Schneider’s number.  
“Doom? Yeah, it’s me…just shut up a second and let me explain…yes, he’s here and he’s ok too, for now at least…”  
“I’m not ok, I’ve got a burnt hand!” Paul called out, waving said appendage.  
“It’s nothing serious Doom, he’s just playing for sympathy because he knows I’m going to kill him later…. Listen, the car broke down on our way back…”  
I needn’t relay all of that conversation, you know what happened next. After giving several assurances that I’d allow Paul to survive long enough to finish the album, and that we were both safe and dry for the night, I promised to call again in the morning with an update and hung up. In case you’re wondering I didn’t mention anything about this being the honeymoon cabin, I’d never hear the end of it otherwise! Realising I still had my coat on, I removed it along with my hat and scarf and dumped them over a chair, noticing that the cabin felt chilly.  
“Paul, have you found the thermostat yet?”  
“Um, there isn’t one.”  
“What?”  
“Yeah, there’s just that log fire in the living area…”  
He broke off in fits of laughter in response to the look of horror on my face.  
“I’m kidding Reesh! There’s central heating, the radiators are just concealed by wooden grill things that match the rest of the woodwork. The thermostat must be in one of the rooms that I’ve not checked yet.”  
Paul was saved from me breaking my promise to the others by a knock on the door, which turned out to be our food as ordered. Paul busied himself making coffees for us both while I located the cutlery and condiments and arranged them on the table. We were so hungry we both ate in rare silence, that was, until Paul swallowed his last mouthful. Leaning back on his chair, he belched loudly.  
“Classy, Landers, real classy!”  
“I’m glad you approve.”  
Sensing that I was probably in for a long night, I sighed, carefully stacking the plates back on the tray and leaving it out on the porch as instructed, as someone would be along later to collect it without having to disturb us. I made sure to put a generous tip under the plates, so that the note wouldn’t blow away in the wind.  
As I turned to lock the door for the night I located the thermostat, we’d walked right past it. I turned the temperature up to 20C – if I turned it up too high we won’t get any sleep. Speaking of which;  
“What are we going to do about sleeping arrangements? There’s only one bed and the sofa’s too small for me.”  
Paul ambled over to the sofa and tried stretching out on it, grimacing as he lowered himself down. “That’s going to kill my back if I sleep on it. There’s plenty of room for us both on the bed, it looks like a king-size. If you’re worried, I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself – scout’s honour!”  
He attempted the scout salute, but only succeeded in almost taking his eye out.  
“You weren’t in the scouts! That aside, I guess it will be ok just for one night. Just don’t tell the others!”  
He shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me if they know, but ok. I’m going to get a wash and brush up then turn in, we may need an early start tomorrow.”  
He placed the bag we’d brought with us on his chosen side of the bed, tossed me a pack of cigarettes, then wandered off into the bathroom. A few moments later, the bathroom door opened again and Paul called out in a sheepish voice, “Reesh, I’ve got a bit of a problem here and could use your help!”  
I snorted, “Just the ONE problem? What’s up?”  
“My zipper’s got stuck and I can’t seem to fix it with my left hand, and I reeeeally need to pee!”  
“Please tell me you’re just trying to wind me up again!”  
Paul’s expression said otherwise. “Hang on…there - you’re free! You might as well leave the light on when you’re done, I’ll get a wash myself after.”  
After I’d taken care of my ablutions, I shut the bathroom door, made my way to my side of the bed, and started undressing. Only then did I remember, as I unbuckled the belt on my jeans, that I’d gone commando this morning as all my underwear was still drying. Pausing, I looked over at Paul who was rolled up like a cocoon, facing away from me. A soft snore emanated from somewhere under the duvet. Breathing a very quiet sigh of relief, I stripped out of my jeans, leaving me in just my t-shirt, and dove quickly under cover. One final check to ensure Paul was definitely asleep, I turned out the lights. I just hoped I’d be the first to wake.


	6. Six

Chapter 6  
Paul’s POV

As I slowly woke up, the feeling that something wasn’t quite right steadily grew, and it wasn’t the throbbing pain in my right hand. Rubbing my eyes with my left hand, I blinked away the last of my sleep, and turned my head. Richard’s head was resting on my right shoulder, his face serene as he breathed softly, his right arm draped across my chest, but that wasn’t all…cautiously I lifted the duvet. Oh boy. I replaced the cover gently, grabbed my phone with my outstretched arm, and activating the camera, took a ‘selfie’ (only head and shoulders before you start yelling at me) of the two of us, just in case I had future need of blackmail material. It pays to be prepared in this band!  
I put the phone back down, while I considered how to…er, handle the situation.  
“Reesh…Reesh…”  
“Mmf?”  
“It’s time to get up,” Actually, you’re already up! I sniggered to myself.  
“’m comfy. Lemme sleep.”  
“I can tell how comfy you are, the evidence keeps jabbing me in the side!”  
“Huh, wha…?” Richard’s eyes snapped wide open, and as the truth of what I said dawned on him, he shot up and scrambled to the other side of the bed, face turning bright red.  
“I’m sorry…I…uh…”  
God, he’s adorable when he’s flustered. “No need to apologise, you can’t help what you do in your sleep. I can’t blame you for wanting to snuggle with me either, I’m irresistible!” I grinned.  
I received a pillow to the face for that. Retrieving his jeans from a chair, he covered his privates and headed to the bathroom, giving me a rather nice view of his rear. I resisted the urge to wolf-whistle. Pretty sure I deserve a medal for that.  
“I’m going for a shower.”  
“Don’t take too long, or I’ll have to investigate…”  
SLAM!  
Well, that could’ve gone better. Yawning, I stretched and padded out to the kitchenette. I figured I better have a cup of coffee waiting for when Richard emerges again, or my life expectancy could well be seriously foreshortened.  
Richard’s POV  
Sheisse! Has he figured it out? Maybe that’s why he was poking fun at me last night. I should’ve made a joke instead of over-reacting. I turned on the shower and adjusted the temperature to the point it was almost scalding. I turned on the waterproof radio that was on a shelf next to the toiletries. Removing my shirt, I stepped carefully into the shower cubicle, and let the hot water flow over me, the heat permeating my muscles and relaxing them. Well, not all of them, exactly. There was still something demanding my attention.  
Resting one hand against the tiled wall, I turned up the radio a little more in order to drown out any noise I might make, then took myself in hand. Closing my eyes, my thoughts returned to finding myself waking up with Paul, how warm he felt next to me, his musky scent. I started moving my hand, slowly at first but gradually increasing the pace. Thanks to those vivid memories it didn’t take me long to cum, ending with a muffled gasp.  
I rinsed away the evidence, and stepped out of the shower. I towelled myself dry and got dressed. I felt scruffy wearing the t-shirt that I’d had on for the last 24 hours, but it couldn’t be helped. Inspecting my appearance in the bathroom mirror, I still looked half-dead, it would take at least one cup of coffee and a cigarette to feel human again. My hair would just have to be ‘au naturelle’ for today, as gel wasn’t provided. Rubbing my hair dry, I opened the door and shuffled to the living area, drawn by the aroma of freshly made coffee.  
Paul handed me a mug and gestured at the table. “I ordered us both a cooked breakfast. We’re going to need the energy for the walk back to the studio.”  
“What do you mean ‘walk’? What happened to the tow truck?”  
“When I called reception to place the order, they told me that Ralf had left a message for us. The heavy snowfall has brought down some large tree limbs in the valley, blocking the main route and crushing a couple of parked cars. He’s needed to help clear that before he can come up here, especially as he’s on the wrong side of the blockage from us. As he may be a few hours, if we want to be certain of getting back to the others today, we have to walk. It shouldn’t take us too long, provided that we stick to the main road.”  
“It may have escaped your notice, but neither of us is dressed for a hike in the snow. In fact, you’re still not dressed, period – go get some clothes on!”  
“I was waiting to have a shower, but someone took their time in there – actually, with only one hand, I could use some assistance!”  
He’s doing that on purpose, trying to provoke a reaction. “I’ll remove your bandage, but that’s it!”  
Paul pouted in response, but held out his arm for me to see to his hand, then disappeared into the bathroom. Dealing with a naked Paul, especially if he does know how I feel about him, is not something I can cope with right now. Walking out onto the porch, I lit a cigarette, my shaking hands awkwardly fumbling with the lighter.


	7. Seven

Chapter 7  
Paul’s POV

Richard had apparently been over to reception while I was getting ready, as he stepped back into the cabin brandishing a carrier bag, coughing loudly as once again the change in air temperature impacted his lungs. The bout was so bad he was forced to grip a chair in order to stay upright.  
Concerned, I took the bag from his other hand and set it aside. “Are you ok, Reesh? If you’re not feeling well we could always stay another night, or you could stay and I’ll return to the studio, pick up some things for you and bring them back here.”  
As his breathing returned to normal, Richard shook his head no. “I’ll be fine, especially once we get going. I’ve bought two flasks of soup for the journey and the snow’s not too deep up here where the trees have sheltered us. There are some bigger drifts lower down, according to the day shift receptionist. He gave me this note for you, too.”  
It was from Madchen, asking that I call the lodge when we get back to our friends, as she would worry constantly otherwise.  
“It seems she’s taken a shine to you, for some bizarre reason. If you’ve got everything, we better get moving. The sky is clear now, but there’s more snow forecast for this afternoon.”  
I grabbed my bag, did a quick check that neither of us had left anything behind and shut the door. I handed the key in at reception, and settled the remainder of our bill, shoving the receipt in my coat’s internal pocket, then we continued making our way down the side road, pausing as we reached my car. I made sure it was still secure, then turned up onto the main road, starting what was likely to be an arduous journey.  
I let Richard take the lead, as I wanted to keep an eye on him without being obvious, telling him I was using him as a windbreak.  
A couple of hours later, we’d reached the point where the road curved around the mountain before starting to dip down again. I called a halt there, so that we could have some of the soup and have a brief rest. My joints were aching from the cold and I felt bruised all over from a few tumbles on hidden icy patches, my right hand felt as if it was throbbing like that of a cartoon character who just struck themselves accidentally.  
The view of the valleys on either side were obscured by the thick forest, the trees also serving to block out most of the light and meagre warmth of the winter sun. Shivering slightly, I repacked the flasks into my bag and looked over at Richard. He seemed to be feeling the cold too, rubbing his arms with his hands and stomping around in circles.  
“How on earth did you survive the winters while you were sleeping rough? I’m struggling after just a couple of hours in the cold, but you must’ve been out in these kind of conditions for weeks at a time!”  
“I don’t want to talk about it, those memories are…unpleasant.”  
I gave him a sideways glance, that was a curious statement – he’s not normally reticent with us about his past. “I guess you Schwerin men are so macho that a few feet of snow is child’s play to you?”  
Richard stopped pacing and whirled on me, “Drop it Paul! I’m getting tired of your constant taunting!”  
Confused by his reply I answered quietly, “I didn’t mean to offend you Reesh, I was generally curious, that’s all.”  
He was still glaring at me, and looked to be about to continue when another coughing fit seized him, seemingly more severe than before. With nothing to steady himself against, he dropped to his knees into a small drift, doubled over. As I drew closer, I could see he was shaking. He closed his eyes as the coughing subsided, and turned to rest his back against the drift, his breathing fast and shallow. Alarmed, I dropped down next to him, “Reesh…?”  
“Give me a couple of minutes. I’ll be alright soon, it’s just the flu, I can take something for it as soon as we get in.” He started to loosen his scarf and unbutton his coat, as if hot.  
“Are you crazy Reesh, you could die of exposure doing that up here! You don’t have to prove to me how tough you are, fasten up…”  
“Look, I get it Paul, I don’t know when or how, but apparently you’ve discovered the truth and have spent most of this little trip flinging it in my face! Yesterday with the receptionist, then this morning in the cabin, and all the comments since about how ‘manly’ I am…”  
He was looking right at me now, with an air of defiance in his grey eyes. For my own part, I admit to being dumbfounded by his comments, not to mention startled by the viciousness with which they were delivered.  
“I think the mountain air’s gone to your head, Kruspe. What are you raving on about? What truth?”  
“Drop the act, you know very well what I mean. You’ve found out that I’m in love with you and now you’re rubbing my nose in it at every opportunity!”


	8. Eight

Chapter 8  
Paul’s POV

I would have pinched myself if my hands weren’t so numb, because there’s no way that Richard just admitted to being in love with me, I must still be asleep and dreaming all of this! Either that, or the ‘flu’ he reckons to have is severely affecting his capacity to think straight (pun intended!), these could be the only explanations for his strange behaviour and outbursts. Alright, there is a third option, but between you and me, that’s highly unlikely.  
“You’re…” I struggled to find the words to respond, following that startling revelation. I know, there’s a first time for everything. Richard’s head was bowed down now, his gaze firmly fixed on the ground before him, his shoulders slumped as if in defeat. On impulse, I cupped his chin with my left hand and tilted his head up so it was level with my own. “I didn’t know Reesh,” I said softly.  
Leaning forward, I pressed my lips to his in a gentle kiss, fully expecting to be met with resistance. I pulled back slowly, trying to gauge his reaction. His eyes were closed, and he was trembling, though whether from the kiss or the cold I couldn’t say for sure. I kissed him again, this time more forcefully, running my tongue lightly over his lips. Richard gasped, then began to return the kiss fervently, lips parting to allow my tongue access, his own exploring my mouth in return.  
After what seemed at once like an eternity and no time at all, we parted from each other’s grasp. “Richard Z Kruspe, you are an infuriating, pig-headed idiot of a man, but I love you. I always have. We obviously need to have a serious conversation, but now is neither the time or the place. We should continue as quickly as we can, the clouds are starting to gather, and I don’t fancy the idea of trying to fumble our way down a treacherous road in another snowstorm.”   
I fastened his coat back up and tightened his scarf before standing up and holding out my hand. “Come on, up you get, it’s all downhill from here!”  
Richard quirked an eyebrow at that and smiled, “Not a very promising statement to start a relationship with!”  
“I meant the road, also…relationship? You move quickly when you want to, Reesh, I’ll give you that!”  
“Isn’t that what you want, too?”  
“Of course I do, you daft sod!” I gave him a quick peck on his forehead and helped him up.  
The descent took longer than I would have liked, but by mid-afternoon we rounded a bend in the road, and there in the distance was the studio complex, probably no more than half a mile away. Richard was visibly flagging, so I wrapped an arm around his waist and told him to put his other arm around my shoulder for better balance. We continued in this fashion all the way to the front door. Before I could turn the handle, Richard whispered in my ear, “Can we keep this just between us, just for a little while longer? I don’t feel ready to tell the others yet.”  
Masking my disappointment, I agreed, after all he’d only told me as a result of a misunderstanding. Plus, it might be fun to sneak around behind the others’ backs for a few weeks. We disentangled ourselves from each other, then I pushed the door open.  
Our four friends were all gathered in the spacious living area, Doom and Ollie were engaged in some VR combat game, while Till and Flake were discussing the contents of a notebook. Their heads turned as we entered, apart from Doom who whooped with delight as his character killed Ollie’s. He realised everyone had gone quiet and removed his headset. As one they all got up and surrounded us, bombarding us with questions. I explained I needed to make a call to the lodge and moved to a quieter spot.  
Just as I was finishing my call, Richard started coughing again. It took the others a few moments before they realised it wasn’t just his normal ‘smoker’s cough.’  
“Reesh, you’ve gone really pale, are you ok?”  
Richard wasn’t able to answer Doom, as he struggled to catch his breath between coughs. I turned just in time to see Till catch Richard as he dropped unconscious toward the floor. My heart stopped.  
“Back off everyone, give him some air,” Flake commanded, then turning to me, “How long has he been like this?”  
When I didn’t answer straight away, he repeated himself, “Paul! How long has Richard been like this?”  
“He, uh…he started with the bad cough not long after breakfast this morning. I noticed he was shaking around noon, but I thought he was just shivering from the cold, that was until he tried taking his coat and scarf off. I managed to get him to keep them on, but his cough has been gradually worse, he’s been having difficulty breathing, and he’s lost his balance a few times, even indoors.”  
“Take Richard to his room and get him out of those wet clothes, and find some clean ones for him to wear. Get him tucked up as warm as possible in bed, and if possible, get him to drink plenty of water. I’ll get the local doctor’s number and call them.”  
Flake was in full mother-hen mode. “Paul, you need to get changed too and eat something warm. Ollie, can you help him with that, he might need a hand until his heals. Doom, you help Till take care of Richard.”  
Ollie nudged me towards my room, as Till scooped the still unconscious Richard up in his arms and carried him down the corridor to his room, with a visibly worried Schneider tagging along in his wake.


	9. nine

Chapter 9  
Paul’s POV

It was a good thing that I had Ollie along to assist me, as I was in a daze following Richard’s collapse and was struggling to remain focused on anything.  
“It’s all my fault…”  
Oliver looked at me from where he was standing, searching the wardrobe and drawers for something suitable for me to change into. He retrieved a t-shirt, dark sweatpants and clean underwear.  
“Don’t be an idiot, I’m sure you didn’t do anything wrong.”  
“He didn’t really want to go out, and I should’ve made sure the car had provisions for adverse conditions, especially considering where we are.”  
Ollie moved to where I was sitting on the bed, put the clothes in a pile next to me, then squatted down so we were eye to eye.  
“I know you guitarists consider yourselves gods, but newsflash: you’re not! There was no way you could have predicted this, so stop beating yourself up about it – it won’t do you or Richard any good to think like that. Now, get your kit off!” he added with a lopsided smile.  
Sighing, I let Ollie assist me getting changed, mainly because of that annoying zip. Even though we’ve all seen each other naked hundreds of times over the years, he still turned his back as I switched my boxers. Once I was decent again we headed back to the kitchen.  
“I’m really not all that hungry, I’ll be happy with just a coffee” I said as we turned the corner. Flake apparently overheard me, as he ordered me to sit and eat the food he’d just placed on the table, and wouldn’t take no for an answer when I tried to object.  
“Don’t move from that chair until you’ve finished everything!”  
“Yes mum,” I retorted, but took a seat anyway.  
As I was tucking in Till emerged from the corridor and gave us an update. “Reesh is sleeping now. He regained consciousness long enough for us to get him to drink some water, but he’s got a fever and needs to rest. Doom is staying with him for now, we can take turns watching over him. Flake, what did the doctor have to say?”  
We all turned our attention to the lanky keyboard player. “The road here is currently blocked, but the snowploughs are working around the clock, so he should be able to reach us in the morning with any luck. Until then, he said to give Richard plenty of fluid and bedrest, and to keep him warm. From the symptoms he’s said it’s probably seasonal flu, but will save his official diagnosis until he’s examined him. In the meantime, if Richard’s condition deteriorates or his temperature plummets, we should call the emergency services. If necessary an air ambulance can land in the yard out back.”  
Having cleared my plate, I pushed my chair back, intent on seeing Richard. Flake placed his hand on my arm as I rose. “Only stay a couple of minutes with Richard, you’ve had what must have been an exhausting day, you should try and get some sleep yourself. We’ll take turns caring for Richard, I promise to wake you when it’s your shift, or if there’s any significant change.”  
I nodded, then made my way to Richard’s room. In the corner facing the door was an acoustic guitar propped on a stand. Most of the space in the room was taken up by the bed which was flanked on one side by a small cabinet, and on the other by a comfy chair- currently occupied by Schneider, quietly reading a book. He looked up as I entered and gave me a small smile.  
Just as Till had said, Richard was asleep in the centre of the bed, only his head visible above the duvet. Beads of sweat were starting to form on his forehead, and his breathing was shallow and laboured. I moved to the cabinet where a jug of water stood next to a half-empty drinking glass. A bowl of iced water, with a facecloth draped over its edge, took up the rest of the space. Dipping the cloth in the bowl, I soaked it then, after wringing out the excess, folded it in half and placed it on Richard’s brow. He stirred slightly and mumbled incoherently but didn’t wake. Sitting down on the bed next to him, I brushed a stray lock of hair away from his eyes.  
“He’ll be ok, Paul. Don’t worry.”  
I started, I’d almost forgotten Schneider was there, him being so uncharacteristically quiet. He’s usually tapping out a rhythm on any available surface. He moved to stand next to me, and gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Go and get some rest, before I mistake you for one of my video game zombies!”  
He lifted the cloth up and flipped it over so that the cooler side was against Richard’s skin. “Go on, scoot! We’ve got this.”  
I nodded in reply, then leaned forward and placed a small kiss on Richard’s cheek, and stood to make my leave. Schneider grabbed me in a bear hug, before releasing me without another word. Crossing the corridor to my room, I shut the door behind me and flopped, fully clothed, onto my bed.


	10. Ten

Chapter 10  
Paul’s POV

I must have been more exhausted than I realised. The sun was already up and I could hear the sounds of the others moving around. Flake poked his head through the bedroom door.  
“I thought I heard you stirring. The doctor phoned while you were sleeping. The roads have been cleared so he’ll be here in about an hour. Are you ready for some breakfast?”  
“I could do with a hot drink, but I’m still not hungry what with you practically force-feeding me yesterday.”  
“How about a couple of slices of toast then? I don’t want to be worrying about you as well as Richard.”  
I held my hands up in surrender, “Fine, if it will stop you from nagging me.”  
“Good, I’ll go and put the kettle on while you freshen up. Do you need help with anything?” he added, gesturing towards my bandaged hand.  
“Actually, it’s not hurting any more, could you remove the bandage?”  
Flake carefully unwrapped my hand and inspected the injured area. New flesh was replacing the damaged skin, and though tender, it looked to be healing nicely. Very gingerly I tried flexing my hand, wincing as a sharp stab of pain shot through me.  
“I doubt I’ll be able to play for a couple of days, not that I’ll be able to concentrate anyway…” I trailed off, looking beyond Flake to the door opposite, which reminded me, “I thought someone was going to wake me when it was my turn to sit with Reesh?”  
“We tried, but you were sound asleep, so we gave up after the third attempt, as you obviously needed it.”  
With that he left for the kitchen. As I’d been wearing these clothes for nearly 18 hours, I decided a change would be in order, and a shower too. Picking out some clean clothes I made my way to the bathroom, but not before checking in on Richard. Till was wringing out the facecloth, lines of worry creasing his forehead. He spoke softly as I approached.  
“How are you feeling today, Paul? You were in pretty poor shape yourself yesterday, and we all know how you feel about Scholle, even if he’s oblivious.”  
I smiled at Till’s use of one of Richard’s oldest nicknames. The two of them were more like brothers than friends, so I knew he would be just as anxious as me. “Physically, I feel much better, though I’m surprised I managed to sleep at all. Has there been any change?”  
“Not really, Reesh slept through most of the night, only waking when he coughed. I’ve decided to wait until the doctor’s been before calling Khira Li and Merlin; they should know their dad’s ill. Did I hear Flake say the doctor will be here soon?”  
I confirmed that he should be, then went for my shower. A short while later I was sitting down at the kitchen table munching on a slice of buttered toast. I ate quickly, then nursed my hot coffee until it was cool enough to gulp down. Licking my lips to rid them of an escapee droplet, I couldn’t help but think of how Richard tasted when I kissed him the day before – a mixture of coffee, cigarettes and the soup we’d just eaten. My cock twitched at the recollection, so I forced myself to think of chord progressions until it subsided. Just in time too, as the intercom buzzed, announcing the doctor’s arrival.  
Schneider let him in and made introductions, then Flake took over, leading the way to Richard’s room updating him on his condition overnight. Flake shooed Till out of the way so that the doctor could get closer. Till didn’t object, as Flake was the best equipped among us to understand any medical jargon. He shut the door, leaving the rest of us anxiously awaiting the diagnosis.  
After what seemed like hours, the door opened and they both emerged. Flake thanked the physician for coming out and saw him to the door, then he approached us and perched on a nearby chair.  
“Doctor Weiss says that Richard has pneumonia. He’s prescribed a course of antibiotics which someone will have to fetch from the local pharmacy. He also said we should give him paracetamol to help counter the fever and any pain he might be in from the coughing. He suggested we may need to change the bedsheets as well as his clothes every couple of days, because they’ll probably be soaked through. One other thing, as Richard is in what he describes as an ‘at risk’ group, he said we…”  
“What do you mean, ‘at risk’? At risk of what?” Schneider interrupted, echoing my thoughts.  
“Pneumonia is a more serious condition for certain groups of people, smokers being one of them. Because his lungs will be weakened from smoking, he’ll find it much harder to battle the condition, and for some people, that’s inevitably proven fatal.”  
I sat down heavily, not wanting to contemplate that possibility.  
“Did the doctor say anything else, like how long it could take for him to recover?” Till enquired, in an effort to keep things positive.  
“If Richard follows typical patterns, he’ll probably have the fever for about a week, the coughing and breathlessness another month or so after that to clear.”  
“Can he be moved?”  
“I asked about that, Weiss said that ideally he shouldn’t travel while still feverish, but after that it should be alright.”  
“In that case, can I suggest that as soon as Richard is over his fever we decamp to Berlin, and cancel the remaining studio time, we’re obviously not going to get the album finished during this session. We can start rehearsing for the tour instead, what with it being just over 3 months away. For the time being, we can start packing up our equipment so we’re ready to move.”  
As none of us could think of any other course of action, we agreed. Ollie went to sit with Richard, Flake persuaded Schneider to drive him to the pharmacy, leaving Till and myself in the lounge.  
“I need to call Khira Li and Merlin, and let them know about Reesh and our plans. Perhaps you could make a start packing Richard’s guitars and equipment? I’m not sure how he normally puts them away.”  
I was glad of the distraction, and got busy unplugging guitars, coiling cables, stowing effects pedals (seriously Reesh, how many do you need?) and putting them all in their allotted crates. Before I knew it, Till came into the studio in search of me. It was lunchtime already, and Till was apparently under orders from Flake to make sure I ate. I can’t for the life of me tell you what we had, I was too preoccupied with a sense of guilt that I’d not managed to spend much time with Richard since he fell ill to pay it much notice.  
Almost as if reading my mind, Till said “If you want to go and sit with Reesh, I’m sure Ollie would appreciate a break, tell him to come here and I’ll make him some lunch.”  
I all but ran to Richard’s room and, after a brief exchange with Ollie, settled down in the chair next to the bed.


	11. Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short chapter to keep you going while I do more editing. Thank you again to those of you leaving kind comments and kudos! <3

Chapter 11  
Paul’s POV

I stayed with Richard for a couple of hours, wiping his face periodically. He slept most of the time, moaning occasionally as though suffering from some terrible nightmare, the fever refusing to relinquish its grip on him.  
He regained consciousness briefly, his own coughing waking him. His head turned towards me when he heard me shift from the chair to move closer, his eyes glassy and unfocused. “Paul…?”  
Taking his hand in mine I replied, “I’m here Reesh, do you want something?”  
“…thirsty…”  
I poured some water from a fresh jug, then helped Richard to sit up a little more. He tried to grip the glass, but he was shaking so much I had to hold it to his lips for him. He managed a few sips before exhaustion overtook him again, and he sank back into the pillows. “Thank you.”  
I squeezed his hand and moved to sit back down again, but Richard held on. “Stay with me?”  
I shifted position so that I was able to sit next to him on the bed. Reassured, Richard closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep.  
The sound of conversation could be heard through the slightly open doorway, as Flake and Schneider returned from their outing to the pharmacy. Flake popped his head into the room, raising an eyebrow when he saw me on the bed, but otherwise ignoring it.  
“We’ve got the antibiotics and extra bottles of paracetamol, also something else the doctor said we ought to try if possible…”  
“What?”  
“Dr. Weiss said that Richard’s recovery could be aided by reducing his nicotine craving, as smoking would only prolong the cough, so he suggested we start Richard on patches now, so he’ll not be desperate to smoke when his fever’s gone.”  
He waved a couple of boxes before continuing, “Before we do anything else though we should get him washed and changed, and into a dry bed. Perhaps we could use yours as it’s so close?”  
“Of course, yes.”  
Flake disappeared, replaced moments later by Till, picking the sleeping Richard up carefully, and carrying him the short distance to my bed. My face flushed as I helped remove Richard’s clothes, now that our friendship had taken on a romantic turn I didn’t want anyone else seeing him naked. I knew it was an irrational thought, particularly within the context of Rammstein, but I couldn’t help feeling possessive. Till left the room only to return with a bowl of warm water and a sponge. Between us we managed to clean Richard all over and redressed in a t-shirt and briefs. Flake padded in to join us.  
“I’ve removed all the bedlinen from the other bed and put them in the washer, but the mattress underneath is damp on the top side and could use an airing before putting clean sheets on, so we’re down a bed for now. Paul, Schneider says you can sleep in his bed while he sits with Richard tonight and then swap places, if that’s ok with you?”  
“Yes, what time do I need to be up?”  
“I’ve got you down for 2am to 6am. Till will follow you in the morning. Do you want me to get Schneider to wake you when it’s your turn?”  
“No, I’ll set a couple of alarms on my phone so I’ll be up in time.”  
That settled, Flake stood and went in search of Schneider to give him his orders. The rest of the day was spent with each of us alternating between looking after Richard, making sure he got his medication (and sticking the first patch on where he wouldn’t immediately notice it when he woke up), and preparing our equipment for departure.  
Knowing that I needed to be up in the middle of the night, I made sure I ate a good portion of the pie and steamed vegetables Ollie cooked for us all, as I didn’t want to go fridge-raiding later. Then after a final visit to the bathroom, I made my way to Schneider’s room, in the hope I could get a few hours’ sleep in.


	12. Twelve

Chapter 12  
Paul’s POV

My phone’s alarm woke me at 1.45am. Groaning, I turned it off and swung my legs over the side of the bed. Rubbing my eyes, I yawned and stood up, confused for a minute until I remembered I was in Schneider’s room.  
The building was eerily silent, the only illumination in the corridor came from moonlight pouring in the window at the far end. It was enough for me to see my way to the bathroom and back, I wanted to be sure I didn’t need to leave Reesh alone for any reason, including needing to take a piss.  
Softly opening my bedroom door, I found Schneider sitting on the floor, reading silently. For some reason the chair provided in my room isn’t as comfy as that in Richard’s (now I think back, he had claimed his room before I’d finished removing my gear from the car, but I’m sure that’s just coincidence…not), so normally I’d prop myself up with pillows on the bed when I wanted to sit for any length of time. There was a lamp on the bedside table that I use when reading before going to bed, but Schneider had moved it down onto the floor, so that he could better read his book. Richard was sound asleep, but had managed to work one of his arms free of the duvet.  
“I turned the cloth over a few minutes ago, so he should be ok for a little while,” Schneider whispered to me as he got up. “Flake managed to get Reesh to take some more tablets earlier on, so you don’t need to worry about that. I’ll go and get some more ice in the water bowl before I turn in, do you want me to fetch you anything from the kitchen while I’m there?”  
Thinking that the smell of coffee would probably disturb Richard’s sleep, but in the need of caffeine in order to stay awake, I requested an energy drink. Locating the novel I’d been reading before the trip down to the valley, I returned the lamp to its rightful place on the bedside unit and took my seat in the chair. Doom tiptoed back in, handed me a can, then replaced the newly-iced bowl of water to the side. He whispered goodnight before exiting, the door clicking softly shut behind him.  
I managed to finish my current chapter and was halfway into the next before Richard stirred.  
“Paul…”  
I was out of my seat immediately, and put my hand on his forehead. “I’m here love.”  
“I’m cold…”  
Considering his forehead was hot enough to fry eggs on, that surprised me. I did a quick search of the wardrobe to see if there were any spare blankets I’d missed, but other than my own belongings, it was empty. Instead, I climbed on to the bed next to Richard, and laid down behind him, wrapping my arm around him. Richard’s free arm moved, and he took hold of my hand with his, snuggling as close from under the covers to me as he could.  
“Is that better?”  
He was already sound asleep again. Smiling, I kissed the nape of his neck, and lowered my head on to the scrap of pillow left available.  
Apparently I must have fallen asleep myself soon after, as the next thing I was aware of was sunlight stealing through a gap in the curtains, gently warming my face. My gaze shifted to the sleeping form in front of me, Richard didn’t appear to have shifted at all, still clutching my hand.  
Gently removing my hand from his, I pushed back the blanket covering me to look at my watch, as surely it must be close to 6am.  
My waking brain took a moment to process that – there wasn’t a blanket on me when I fell asleep, which could only mean…shit. There was a creak from the chair behind me, as the occupant shifted their position.  
“Good morning Paul,” Till said, with an amused tone. “Did you sleep well?”  
“Uh…I can explain…”  
Till chuckled softly. “There’s no need, I can see for myself what’s going on, I’m just surprised it’s taken this long.”  
As he saw my worried glance towards the door he added, “If you’re wondering if anyone else has seen you sleeping together, the answer’s no. The others were all snoring their heads off when I got up to relieve you, but it probably won’t be long before they start gathering for breakfast. If you’re wanting to keep this quiet, I suggest you slip out to my room now.”  
“Thank you” I got up to leave, checking the corridor before padding off in the direction of Till’s room, grateful for his understanding and discretion.  
I’ll spare you the monotony of the next few days, which passed in much the same manner, with Till managing to orchestrate it that he’d always be the one following me. The only difference during the days were Schneider and Ollie going snowboarding a couple of times, and also fitting in a visit to the music workshop. Flake went for a couple of walks, which meant that Till ended up accompanying him, as we’d agreed no-one went anywhere alone, in case of emergencies.  
On the eighth morning following our return from the lodge, Richard woke without a fever fro the first time. He gave me a nudge to wake me, and for what felt like the first time in years, he smiled, his eyes finally clear and bright.  
“Hello Paulchen!”  
“Morning, Reesh! How are you feeling?”  
“Honestly? I’m famished! Have we got any Black Forest cake?”  
I laughed and gave him a playful punch, “I’ve told you before, you can’t have that for breakfast!”  
“I seem to remember ignoring you…”  
I helped him sit up in bed, propping the pillows up so he’d be more comfortable, then poured him a drink of water. He still had difficulty holding the glass, so once again I held it for him, joking that I’d have to get him a straw next time.  
“I’ll go and see what we’ve got that will be easy for you to eat, maybe scrambled eggs if we have any?”  
“Well, it’s not cake, but I suppose it will do for now.”  
I smiled and turned to leave the room, almost colliding with Till as I did so.  
“Sleeping Beauty’s finally awake then?”  
“See for yourself, I’m just off to make him some breakfast.”  
Flake was up early, and tucking into a bowl of cereal when I arrived in the kitchen. We greeted each other, and I set to busying myself with my task. I grabbed eggs and milk from the fridge, located a small pan and some olive oil which I set to warm, then cracked the eggs into a bowl and mixed some of the milk in with a fork. While I was busy with the preparations, Flake spoke up.  
“Do I take it that Richard’s over the worst?”  
“Yeah, the fever’s gone and he’s talking a little now.”  
Flake huffed, “He’s been talking all week, mind you, he’s really only been saying one thing over and over…or should I say, the same name…”  
I didn’t need to turn around to know that Flake was staring intently at me, watching for my reaction. I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction. “Oh?”  
“Yes, and Ollie and Schneider have said the same thing too. They seem to think it’s rather…sweet” I could sense him making vomiting motions behind me. He continued, “Also, I might possibly have asked him a few questions while he was delirious, just to see if he would say anything else. It’s amazing what you can find out that way! So, given the circumstances, we assume that when we leave for Berlin you’ll be the one staying with Richard while he recuperates, at least until Merlin or Khira Li get back?”  
Well, that secret didn’t last long. “You all know?”  
“Yes, but what we don’t know is when it started, exactly. We need to know so the winner of the sweepstake can get their money!”  
“Oh god, Richard’s going to kill me! He’ll think I couldn’t keep my trap shut, even though I promised!”  
Flake grunted at that, “Don’t worry, we’ll put him straight.” Realising what he’d just said he chuckled, “Well, maybe not straight, we wouldn’t want to deprive you of your fun, but we’ll tell him.”  
“No, it would be better if I let him know.” I finished making Richard’s breakfast, took a deep breath, then returned to the bedroom. Till noticed my nervous demeanor, guessing what I was about to do, he made an excuse to leave, giving me a sympathetic look as he passed me.  
I placed the plate on Richard’s lap and handed him the fork. He started eating slowly initially, but soon started shovelling it down.  
“Slow down Reesh, you don’t want to choke.”  
He rolled his eyes, but took his time over the subsequent mouthfuls. Once he’d finished, I placed the plate and fork on the floor, I didn’t want anything he could stab me with to be within easy reach. Here goes nothing!  
“Reesh, you remember you asked me to keep this relationship between us a secret? Well, I kept my word, but the others have found out anyway, I’m sorry.”  
“How?” His eyes were as icy as his tone.  
Somewhat nervously, I continued. “Actually, from you! We’ve all been taking turns looking after you, and Flake has just informed me that you talked in your sleep, so he asked you a few sneaky questions!”  
“Does anyone else know?”  
“Not that I’m aware of, no. I really am sorry Reesh, I did my best.”  
He signed resignedly, giving my hand a light squeeze and me a small smile. “It’s ok, I guess they would’ve worked it out pretty quickly in any case. Maybe it’s better this way.”  
He looked at my downcast face. “Come here…”  
When I didn’t move straight away, he added sternly, “Paul Landers, come here right now, I demand a kiss!”  
“But you’ve not cleaned your teeth in days…ewww!” I teased, but I wasn’t about to refuse that invitation!


	13. Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting closer to the, erm...climax...hold onto your hats folks!

Chapter 13

Paul’s POV

We all spent the next few hours discussing when we’d leave the studio, who and what equipment would be in each car (Richard was too ill to drive his car, and my burnt hand would make it difficult for me to drive for hours especially in particularly tricky conditions, the snow was coming down heavily all over Europe.) When the finer points were decided the others began loading the gear so we would be able to leave as early as possible the following morning.  
I phoned Ralf to get an update on my car. He informed me that he’d finally managed to tow it back to his garage, and after inspection he’d found it needed a part that he didn’t have in stock, so my options were to let him order the part which may take a few days to arrive, then collect it after repair, or he could stick it on a trailer and send it to Berlin where I could arrange repair. As that was my preferred option, I gave Ralf the information of the garage I normally used, promising to drop in on our way to Berlin to pay him, then contacted my garage to tell them when they could expect my car to arrive.  
Till persuaded Reesh to leave the bed for a couple of hours, in order to spend some time with the rest of us. He was reluctant at first, knowing that our friends were aware of his feelings for me, but after promises that no-one would make any snarky comments (yes Flake, I’m looking at you!), he allowed himself to be carried through to the lounge, still unable to get there under his own steam. Till deposited Richard on the couch next to me, then draped a couple of blankets over him, before taking a seat in the adjacent chair. From there he had a great vantage point looking out of the wall-high windows to the mountains beyond and down to the village nestled below them. He took up his notebook and pen and started jotting things down, ideas apparently flowing.  
Schneider had, somewhat predictably, got a cartoon channel on the large wall-mounted television, affixed to a side wall where the glare from the windows didn’t reach, with the angle of the couch we could switch between either view with ease.

Richard’s POV

To say I’d slept my way through the majority of the last week, I still felt exhausted and weak as a kitten too. I can’t remember a time when I’d ever felt so helpless, it was unnerving and more than a little embarrassing.  
When Paul told me that all the others knew about us, I felt sick to my stomach with anxiety, then that changed to anger - at myself, not Paul. I wasn’t aware that I talk in my sleep, certainly no-one else has mentioned it before, so I’m hoping it was just a by-product of the pneumonia that Paul told me I’ve got. I had wanted to keep things between us a secret while we worked out a suitable way to tell our friends and families, I also wanted time to adjust to our new reality, as I certainly never intended for Paul to find out the way he did, truth be told, I’m not sure if I would ever have got around to telling him.  
Anyway, with that no longer under our control, I felt nervous about facing the others. (Can’t I just go back to sleep and return to blessed oblivion?) Stupid, I know, our friends will no doubt be supportive, but there’s always that worry of “what if” lurking in the back of my mind. At least we would be able to tell our families on our own terms.  
Till persuaded me to join everyone in the lounge area, where they’d all gathered to discuss plans before splitting up into different activities. He offloaded me next to Paul on the couch, before covering me up for warmth as I was starting to shiver a little. I was grateful that Paul didn’t immediately start kissing or fussing over me, he seemed to know instinctively that I’d need to adjust at my own pace.  
I leant against him so that our shoulders were touching, and turned my attention to the tv. Schneider glanced over at us from his chair and smiled, before turning back to the cartoon. Flake and Ollie were surveying the contents of the kitchen cupboards and the fridge, discussing what to conjour up for the evening meal later. Till meanwhile seemed to have found his muse and was busy writing, though whether it was lyrics or poetry, I couldn’t tell.  
The whole scene was so familiar that I started to relax a little more, changing my position so that I was resting against Paul’s chest. He smiled at me and wrapped both arms around me from behind. Outside the window, it was starting to snow again. I watched as large flakes spiralled gracefully down to settle on the furniture and shrubs on the patio below. Their dance was hypnotic and before long I felt myself starting to drift off.  
“Why don’t you lie down Reesh?” Paul suggested. “There’s enough room for you to stretch out a bit.”  
I wiggled my way along the couch until I was able to rest my head on Paul’s lap, and rearranged the blankets. Paul started twirling my hair with his fingers, almost absent-mindedly – an action which would normally incur my wrath – but the way Paul was playing with it felt soothing. I decided to close my eyes and enjoy the sensation for a few minutes, just until…

Paul’s POV

Richard’s breathing slowed and took up a more regular rhythm as he fell asleep on my lap, but I was happy that he’d relented and joined the rest of us, the sooner we all got used to the new dynamic the better. Sure, he was asleep again, but at least he now felt comfortable enough for the others to see us as a couple, instead of our longstanding ‘bromantic partnership’. It would probably be a while before he completely lowers his guard, but I don’t mind waiting. He’s worth it in my view.  
Schneider got up and made drinking motions at me when he realised Reesh was sleeping, so as not to wake him. I formed a letter ‘T’ with my hands, nodding in acknowledgement Schneider crept softly past to the kitchen.  
“Ahem,” Till wafted his mug in front of Schneider, “while you’re making drinks…”  
It wasn’t much later that Ollie came to announce dinner was about ready, though one glance at the two of us on the couch and he knew I’d not be going anywhere anytime soon. He moved the coffee table so that I could reach it from my position, then brought my plate in. “I’ll put Richard’s in the oven to keep it warm until he wakes.”  
Schneider and Till both got up and followed Ollie into the kitchen to have their meals. A few bites into my food, Richard prodded me. “Where’s mine?”  
“In the dog.”  
“There isn’t one here.”  
“Damn, you foiled my plan to have your portion to myself!”  
I helped him sit back up, then went to retrieve his dinner. On my return I noticed there were fewer chips on my plate than there were when I left the room. “Where are my chips?”  
“In the dog!” Richard replied, feigning an innocent air.  
I scowled and handed him his plate, but not before grabbing a few chips first.  
“The others say there’s a film on in a bit that they’d like to watch. You think you can stay awake long enough, or do you want to go back to bed?”  
“I’ll stay up for a bit, I’ve been in bed long enough for one trip!”  
Well, he tried. I don’t think anyone of us realised before Richard got sick just how debilitating pneumonia can be. One hour into the film, and despite a profusion of explosions and yelling, he’d nodded off in my arms again. Once the credits started rolling Doom lifted Richard up and took him to the bedroom, with me following close behind.


	14. Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been having difficulty writing the chapter that follows this one, with edits and rewrites aplenty. This chapter was originally part of it, but I've ended up splitting it into two. Hopefully you'll like what I've done with it, when I finally muster the courage to post it. I even toyed with doing an alternative chapter, smut and alt-smut if you will!

Chapter 14

Richard’s POV  
We were up at dawn the next morning and all six of us ate breakfast together, finalising the details of our journey back to Berlin. I was made to sit and do nothing, while all the suitcases and bags were packed and stowed in the cars. I was more than happy to let them do all the work and wouldn’t object if I never had to lift a finger again, but I know the others won’t put up with it once I’ve recovered. (Hmm, google ‘how long pneumonia symptoms last’ on phone…)

"Ready to go Reesh?"

“Yeah, you’ve checked that all my stuff’s packed?”  
“Ten times over, since breakfast – come on, up you get!”  
This morning I’d felt strong enough to walk, albeit with assistance, so accepting Paul’s hand up from the chair, I wrapped my arm around him for support getting out to the car. It had been decided that Till was going to drive my car, with both Paul and myself as passengers. Flake was the only one of us that Till trusts enough to drive his car, so he would follow behind us, with Schneider and Ollie following in their own cars in procession.  
We’d agreed that we’d stick together as much as possible on the autobahn, and if, anyone needed to stop for any reason they’d overtake the lead car and signal, with the roads likely to be slippery from ice and slush the drivers would need to be in full control of the vehicles and not fiddling with phones. At a distance of over 900km you would normally expect to travel for around 10 hours in clear conditions, not including any breaks, even if the gritters and snowploughs were working 24 hours a day to keep the main routes clear, we fully expected our journey to take over 12 hours. I’d stopped at the border overnight on my way south in order to break up the length of time I was driving for, but it was agreed that we should attempt to do the trip back in one day if possible, so by 7:30am we were on our way.  
Following the pattern of the last couple of days, I ended up sleeping for most of the journey, resting against Paul on the backseat, the gentle motion of the car and the warm air blowing from the heater helping me drift off. Somewhere south of Stuttgart on the A9, Paul woke me as we approached a service stop so we could have some lunch. We all took the opportunity to stretch our legs and have a toilet break. According to Till we were making good time, as the autobahn was nowhere near as busy as it would normally be, the majority of motorists being far more sensible than us, only venturing out for short or essential trips. But then, when do we ever do anything remotely sensible?  
We continued northwards to Berlin, making another stop somewhere I’ve never heard of between Leipzig and Halle, before finally pulling up outside my house near the heart of the city just before 7 in the evening. Till activated the remote switch that rolled the heavy gate back so we could drive up to the front steps, Flake following us in. Schneider and Ollie had driven off to their respective homes once we reached the outskirts of the city. Flake would be dropped off by Till once Paul and I were settled in.  
As I unlocked the door and switched on the lights, the others set to unloading our guitars and luggage into the living room so that we wouldn’t trip over them in the hallway. Checking that we had everything we might need overnight, and satisfied that we weren’t in any immediate risk of starvation, Till and Flake said their goodbyes, leaving Paul and myself alone. The nerves started setting back in – this was a first for me. Perhaps sensing my anxiety, Paul asked “You must be tired from the trip, how about we get an early night? I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself tonight!”  
I couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Wasn’t that how all this started?”  
He smiled, held out his hand, and led me to my bedroom.

Paul’s POV

We were alone at last, but poor Reesh looked like he wanted to run for the hills. I didn’t realise how intimidating I could be! Taking pity on him, I suggested that we retire for the night, with a promise that I’d be on my best behaviour. Guiding him into his room, I sat him on the bed and helped unlace his boots, and remove his jeans, before moving to the other side of the bed and stripping down to my boxers.  
Richard settled himself under the sheets and turned off his bedside lamp, then turned towards me, his head cradled on one arm on his pillow. I switched the light off on my side as I climbed in beside him, plunging the room into darkness, save for a sliver of moonlight that provided just enough illumination to see Richard’s face. I edged a bit closer and planted a soft kiss on his lips (no hands!), he returned the kiss cautiously at first, but then with more passion, starting to pull me towards him.  
I pulled back, wagging my finger, “Oh no you don’t – I made you a promise, Reesh, and I intend to keep it, no trying to break my resolve! I think we both could use the rest, it’s been a long day, and by my calculations you’ve only been asleep for 9 hours out of the last 12!” I teased.  
Oh, that petulant tongue returned, tempting me - down boy! Richard released me with a mock huff, then moved so that he was resting his head in the crook of my shoulder, just as he had at the lodge. “Night Paulchen.”  
“Night Reesh”. Goodnight John Boy. Oops, wrong show!


	15. Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! Smut! If you want to avoid smut, please head directly to chapter 16/Epilogue

Chapter 15

Paul’s POV

I woke at a ridiculous hour in the morning, thanks to the early turn in the night before. My arm was numb from being stuck under Richard’s head all night, so I tried shifting without disturbing him in order to get some circulation back. That proved unsuccessful, as Richard yawned and stretched like an oversized cat, before his brain registered that he wasn’t alone in bed. His eyes opened then fixed on me.  
Smiling, he whispered, “Morning Paulie!”  
“Morning liebchen, how are you today?”  
“I feel ok I think.”  
“Hmm, maybe I better make sure…”  
Rolling onto my side, I commenced where we’d left off the previous evening, then moving position I kissed him lightly along his jawline, dropping to his throat giving him small teasing nips. Richard gave a soft moan and tilted his head back giving me greater access, eyes closed but very much awake and responsive.  
As it was now morning, I no longer considered myself bound to my promise, although I was certain I wouldn’t get any rebuke from Reesh at this point. Carefully I pushed the covers back with one hand, then paying Richard’s neck and lips plenty of attention, allowed my hand to reach under his t-shirt, brushing one of his nipples with the tip of my thumb. Responding to his groan of pleasure, I used both hands to push his shirt up so all his chest was exposed. I leant over and started licking and sucking his other nipple, while gently scratching lines down his chest with my free hand, eliciting more loud moans from Richard.  
I changed position again, this time so that I straddled him across his hips. I resumed kissing him, moving slowly down his chest to his navel, noticing as I did so that another part of Richard was demanding attention. Well, it would be rude not to help out a friend in need…  
My hand slid to the waistline of his briefs, then slowly I peeled them off him, before taking hold of his erection and stroking him up and down.  
“Oh God, Paul…”  
“Well, you definitely feel more than ok to me love, but I better give you a thorough physical just to be sure!” I grinned, leaning forward to give Richard another kiss. This time he kissed back fervently, pulling me down so I was laying on top of him, his tongue eagerly searching mine as the kiss deepened. It was my turn to moan, my cock hardening from where it was trapped between us, pressing against Richard’s groin, leaving him in no doubt as to my state of arousal. In response he pulled back, suddenly nervous again.  
“What’s wrong Reesh?”  
He anxiously bit his lower lip before taking a deep breath, “Paul, I…uh…I’ve never had sex with another man before.” He reddened, clearly embarrassed by his confession.  
“What, not even being on top?”  
He had difficulty meeting my gaze. “Never. The only man I’ve ever been attracted to is you, so I never experimented. I didn’t want my first time to be with a stranger either, especially with all the risks…” he trailed off.  
“We can slow down, if we’re going too fast for your liking, I’m happy for you to dictate the pace.”  
“No, I want to, I just…I just thought that you should know that you’re my first, I don’t want to disappoint you.”  
This vulnerable side of Richard always breaks my heart. I caressed his face, “You could never disappoint me Reesh. If you’re certain you’re ready, we can start slowly, then if you change your mind and want to stop, I’ll understand. It’s ok, I was nervous my first time too.”  
He nodded, then, in what I interpreted as a sign that he was ready to continue, he removed his shirt.  
“I know this is probably a stupid question, but do you have any lube or condoms?”  
“Bedside drawer.”  
Of course, where else? I grabbed a bottle and a condom packet, then after removing my shirt and boxers, resumed kissing Richard, taking my time so that he was able to relax again, before returning my attention to his erection. This time though, after a few strokes with my hand, I took the head of his cock into my mouth, closing my lips around it, and slowly drawing back until I was kissing the tip, sending a shudder through Richard.  
“Oh…oh God, yes…!”  
I gave the end a swirl of my tongue before taking him all the way into my mouth, running the tip of my tongue along his shaft, causing his hips to buck beneath me and almost choking me as a result.  
“Shit, Paul, I’m sorry!”  
I laughed it off, “No need to apologise, you should take it as a compliment on your size!”  
He blushed deep red at that, he can be so insecure at times, most notably when it comes to his sexual prowess in the wake of the video shoot for “Pussy”. He may have been laughing and joking about his body-double’s length in the ‘making of’ featurette, but he was an absolute wreck later on, it was awful to witness.  
Reassuring him that I was ok, I continued pleasuring him with my mouth until I got the first taste of precum on my tongue. Sitting up, I reached for the lube and landed a series of kisses on Richard’s throat. Getting him to lay on his side, knees tucked in towards his chest, I started preparing him. Working a generous amount of lube until it was warmer, I gently covered his entrance, working my finger around it in circles before inserting my index finger. He tensed up briefly, but as my finger started massaging him his muscles relaxed slightly and Richard began moaning again. Adding my middle finger, I curled them both and scissored them alternately, before pushing deeper until I found his nerve bundle.  
“Fuck! What… Paul…God, yes!”  
He was panting now and starting to lose the ability to string a coherent sentence together. Withdrawing my fingers, I wiped them off on my t-shirt. Instructing Richard to lie on his back again, keeping his legs up, I rolled the condom onto my aching cock, then applied some more lube to both of us. Kneeling between Richard’s legs, I lined myself up with his entrance and pushed slowly until I was completely inside him. Richard’s eyes were closed again and he was trying hard to regulate his breathing.  
“Still ok love?”  
He opened his eyes, and gave a small smile. “Yes, just taking a moment to get used to the feeling. Perhaps you can do something to distract me?” he added, cheekily.  
I needed no further prompting, slowly at first but gradually building a faster rhythm, I thrust inside Richard, loud moans of pleasure erupting him. When I started pumping his temporarily neglected erection with my hand he gasped, eyes unfocused as he lost himself to the dual sensations.  
Changing my angle slightly, I was able to bury myself deeper inside him, hitting his prostate mercilessly again and again, making Richard scream my name and claw at my back with his fingernails. I felt a trickle of liquid as he drew blood, making me hiss from the pain. Oblivious, Richard wrapped his legs around my back – pinning me in place – as he demanded I fuck him harder. It didn’t take much longer before Richard came, yelling my name as his semen spurted over his abdomen and spilled down my hand as his orgasm subsided. His muscles contracting around my cock brought me to my own climax, moaning and shuddering as the waves of ecstasy washed over me. Withdrawing when I felt certain my muscles were no longer made of jelly, I cleaned both of us up, before collapsing next to Richard on the bed, peppering him with little kisses.  
Still glistening from a sheen of sweat, Richard looked absolutely beautiful in the early morning light. He turned to face me, smiling. “I should’ve let you seduce me years ago! That was…” Apparently struggling for a suitable adjective, Richard pulled me into his embrace, where I remained as we fell back into a happy slumber.


	16. Sixteen/Epilogue

Chapter 16/Epilogue

Richard’s POV

When I woke up Paul was already out of bed, gazing out of the window to the garden below, lost in thought. Smiling, I rose to join him, wrapping my arms around his waist, and resting my chin on his shoulder. “Penny for your thoughts.”  
Paul turned his head and smiled back at me. “I’m just a little bit nervous about tonight, that’s all.”  
We were having a few days off between our shows in Prague and here at home in Berlin. It was nice to be able to sleep in our own bed for a change. Paul had more-or-less moved in with me after that first night, ostensibly to aid me during my recuperation, but we soon agreed to let our families and closest friends know that we were now a couple. Following our ‘coming out’ we arranged for Paul’s to be brought over to my house.  
We’d not yet been out in public together, having decided to wait until we made an official announcement during the tour. All that would change tonight. While I’d been recovering, Paul had shown me a folder full of photographs he’d taken in recent years. They were really great shots, so I persuaded Paul that he should have a gallery showing of a selection of them. Till had contacts with building spaces available for rent as a result of his search for a building in which to display and sell his ‘Doctor Dick’ artwork, so was able to help us secure a large hall with plenty of wall space on a six-month lease at a reasonable rate. Tonight was the launch night for the exhibition, hence Paul’s nerves. That, plus the fact that the official website would be posting a press release about the exhibition, whilst casually mentioning that we are a couple. Tomorrow would be our first show in the wake of that, and we had decided to give the fans what many of them had been wanting to see for years – an onstage kiss.  
“You’ll do great Paul, don’t fret about it. Come back to bed, liebchen”  
He gave me his trademark impish grin. “Make me!”  
Giving him a mock growl, I grabbed him in a wrestle hold and threw him down on the bed and, just as a punishment, tickled him until he was gasping for air and begging for me to stop. While he was lying supine, totally at my mercy, I grabbed the lube, and smothering him with kisses, proceeded to make love to him.

Paul’s POV

Richard managed to get me very relaxed earlier in the day, but it was evening and the nerves were back with a vengeance. The doors were just opening for the invited guests to enter the gallery, and I was beginning to have doubts about whether my pictures were any good, or if anyone would like them. I know that Richard thinks they’re great, but he may be a little bit biased. Speak of the devil…  
Richard strolled up to me, holding two glasses of champagne. He was looking incredibly sexy, dressed head to toe in black Armani, not a hair out of place (although with all those spikes, who can tell anyway?) The scent of his aftershave was enough to send me into a lust-filled frenzy, which I’m certain he’s aware of, and wears it deliberately to get me turned on in inappropriate places. He gave me a wide smile as he handed me one of the glasses.  
“Show time Paulie. And I still say we should have served our sangria and vodka instead of this overpriced plonk!”  
He gave me a quick peck on the lips before the first of the evening’s gusts made it into the central display room, then nudged me forward to greet them as host.  
The rest of the evening passed in quite a blur for me for the most part, with friends and family paying me compliments and remarking on their favourites. Richard never strayed far from me all evening, wanting to give me his full moral support, though after an hour or so he took to resting with his back against a pillar, with a slight frown on his face.  
“Is something wrong Reesh?”  
“No, it’s just…”  
“What?”  
“A lot of people coming out of that room there…” He gestured in the direction of a side gallery that I’d kept closed until the very last minute, “…all seem to be checking out my ass as they pass – a couple of them have actually pinched it too! I know it’s not unusual when we’re doing a show, but this feels…different, somehow…like I’m on display. I know I’m probably just being paranoid, what with the press release due out any minute, but…”  
I laughed, “Actually, you’re not being paranoid, you most definitely are on display – come with me…”  
I led him into the side gallery, in which hung a single photo. Shot in black and white, it portrays a man laid face down on a bed, with the crisp white sheets entangled in the sleeper’s legs. With the perfectly shaped buttocks and the slightly spiked hair, even though he was facing away from the camera, there was no mistaking who the photo’s subject was. I’d titled the photo ‘Eros exposed’ and had made it the focal point of the exhibition.  
“I kept this hidden from you until tonight, I hope you’re not too mad at me?”  
He was quiet for a moment, and I was afraid he was going to have one of his strops right there.  
“I love it!” He grabbed hold of me and gave me a passionate kiss, ignoring the flashes from the cameras and phones of the onlookers in the room. “And I love you, Paul – even if you helped trick me into quitting smoking!”  
“I love you too, Reesh.” I pinched his ass.


End file.
